Sociocultural Notes

Kahoot Questions and Answers

Examples of Cultural Concepts

• Example of Surface Culture:

  • Traditional music used at initiation ceremonies that help young boys transition into manhood.

• Example of Dynamic Culture:

  • Changing attitudes toward the role of women at home and work over time.

Key Cultural Processes

• Acculturation:

  • The process by which an individual comes into contact with another culture and begins to adopt the norms and behaviors of that culture.

Research Approaches

• Emic vs. Etic Approach:

  • Emic Approach: Characteristics include adapting research to reflect the culture of participants, as seen in Cole & Scribner’s study.

  • Etic Approach: Not characterized by spending a lot of time in the culture prior to research for preparation.

• Problem with Emic Research: Research often can't be replicated, impacting its reliability.

Studies in Cultural Cognition

• Cole & Scribner’s Findings on Cognition:

  • Schooling affects the ways individuals remember information.

• Kearin’s Study:

  • Classified as a quasi-experiment because participants were not randomly allocated to conditions.

• Hofstede’s Theory:

  • Individual vs. collectivistic cultures explains Kulkofsky’s findings regarding flashbulb memories (FBM); individualistic cultures focus on personal roles in events.

Social Cognitive Learning Theory

• Factor Not Included:

  • The model must be a member of the learner’s in-group.

• Vicarious Reinforcement:

  • Defined as seeing someone else receive positive feedback and then imitating that behavior.

• Misconceptions about Bandura’s Views:

  • A statement not true according to Bandura: Individuals are more likely to imitate a model if it leads to a lucky outcome such as winning a prize.

Bandura’s Study Details

• Independent Variables in Bandura (1961):

  • Three independent variables were tested.

• Children’s Imitation of Female Model:

  • Reason for lack of imitation: The aggressive behavior exhibited was not seen as consistent with expected female behavior.

• Inter-Rater Reliability:

  • Observers of Bandura’s study scored similarly on the aggression levels of children, indicating consistency in observer ratings.

• Expectancy Effect:

  • Children may have acted more aggressively due to their perception that the researcher desired that behavior.

Problems in Related Studies

• Bidirectional Ambiguity in Huesmann and Eron’s Study:

  • Difficulty in determining whether TV viewing led to aggressive behavior or if aggressive children spent more time watching TV.

• Research Description of St Helena island Study:

  • Classified as a natural experiment.

• Stereotype Example:

  • The depiction of Japanese men as workaholics exemplifies a stereotype.

Limitations in Studies

• Key Limitation of Hamilton & Gifford’s (1976) Study:

  • The study's artificial nature and the inability to predict real-world outcomes.

• Cross-Sectional Study Analysis (Rogers & Frantz):

  • Analyzed data from the population at a single time point.

• Stereotype Threat Predictive Outcomes:

  • John, having learned of poor American performance on world geo tests, can be predicted to perform poorly due to stereotype threat.

• Control in Payne’s Stereotypes and Memory Study:

  • Control involved administering a racism assessment and excluding participants with high scores.

Methodological Frameworks

• Research Method Used by Martin & Halvorson:

  • Employed a true experimental design for investigating gender stereotyping and memory.

Social Psychology Assumptions

• Not an Assumption of Social Psychologists:

  • The notion that animals may be studied for deeper insight into human behavior is not a core assumption.

• Reciprocal Determinism:

  • Individual behavior is influenced by their membership in groups and vice versa.

Asch’s Conformity Study

• Independent Variable in Asch’s 1956 Study:

  • The unanimity of responses influenced conformity.

• Importance of Standardization in the Asch Experiment:

  • Standardization enhances the reliability of findings.

• Reasons for Participant Conformity:

  • Asch noted that conformity stemmed from a blend of informational and normative social influences.

• Control Group Description:

  • Participants matched lines alone without confederate influences.

Methodological Considerations in Psychology

• Example of Method Triangulation:

  • Combining interviews about attitudes with observations of interactions with strangers.

• Research Method in O’Reilly’s Study:

  • Conducted overt naturalistic participant observation to study British expatriates in Costa del Sol.

Ethical and Data Collection Issues

• Festinger’s Doomsday Cult Research Conclusions:

  • Cult members rationalized their predictive failures to protect self-esteem.

• Not an Ethical Concern in Festinger’s Study:

  • Researcher bias was not considered an ethical issue.

• Qualitative Data Analysis Limitation:

  • An advantage is that qualitative data is not easier to analyze than quantitative data.

Sociocultural Glossary Terms

• Confederate:

  • An actor who pretends to be a subject in research while actually working for the researcher.

• Content Analysis:

  • A method for analyzing qualitative data by seeking themes or trends.

• Covert Observation:

  • A participant observation type where the researcher's identity and the nature of the project are concealed from participants.

• Cross-Sectional Design:

  • Comparing multiple groups on a specific variable at one time, in contrast to longitudinal studies.

• Longitudinal Study:

  • Research conducted over a period of time with observations, interviews, or testing.

• Meta-Analysis:

  • Pooling data from various studies addressing the same question for a combined conclusion.

• **Method Triangulation: **

  • Using multiple data collection methods for comprehensive insight.

• Participant Observation:

  • Researchers join a group to better understand their behaviors.

• Prospective Research:

  • Studies correlating two variables by collecting early data and continuing assessments over time.

• Retrospective Research:

  • Analyzing individuals following significant life changes, reconstructing their past.

Cultural Concepts and Processes

• Acculturation:

  • Describes the adoption of norms from another culture when in contact with it.

• Acculturation Gaps:

  • Generational differences leading to family conflicts during the acculturation process.

• Acculturative Stress:

  • The decline in mental health for ethnic minorities adapting to a new culture, often described as "culture shock."

• Assimilation:

  • Individuals abandon their original culture in favor of a new one.

• Confirmation Bias:

  • The tendency to favor information that supports existing beliefs, overlooking contradictory evidence.

Additional Cultural Concepts

• Cultural Norm:

  • Rules based on shared beliefs dictating acceptable behavior within a group.

• Cultural Dimension:

  • Behavioral trends reflecting cultural values.

• Dispositional Factors:

  • Individual traits influencing behavior and actions.

• Emic Approach:

  • Observing behaviors from the perspective of group members.

• Enculturation:

  • The internalization of one’s cultural schemas.

• Etic Approach:

  • Comparative studies across cultures aiming for universal characteristics.

• Global Culture:

  • The culture acquired through interaction with various other cultures.

• Globalization:

  • The interaction and integration of diverse nations and cultures.

• Illusory Correlation:

  • The incorrect perception of a relationship between two unrelated variables.

• Informational Social Influence:

  • Individuals look to others to guide behavior in ambiguous situations.

• In-Group Bias:

  • Preference shown towards members of one’s in-group.

• Integration:

  • Interest in adopting a new culture while retaining one’s original culture.

• Local Culture:

  • The culture experienced while growing up in a shared environment.

• Marginalization:

  • Inability to maintain one's original culture while facing exclusion from integrating into a new culture.

• Normative Social Influence:

  • Conformity driven by the desire for acceptance.

• Salience:

  • Being acutely aware of one’s membership in a social group.

• Self-Efficacy:

  • Belief in one’s capability to complete tasks successfully.

• Social Comparison:

  • The inherent drive to evaluate oneself against others.

• Social Context:

  • Behavioral reactions influenced by immediate surroundings.

• Stereotype:

  • Social perceptions based on group memberships and physical attributes.

• Stereotype Threat:

  • Fear of confirming negative stereotypes which may impair performance.

• Vicarious Reinforcement:

  • Repeating behaviors observed in others being rewarded.

• Social Cognitive Theory:

  • Bandura’s theory emphasizing self-belief’s role in cognition, motivation, and behavior through modeling.

• Social Identity Theory:

  • Exploration of self-concept ties to social groups and its implications for group behavior.

• Vulnerability Models:

  • Illustrate that environmental and social risks potentially lead to adverse health outcomes.

REMINDER

• Check for Understanding Questions:

  • Individual and The Group Asch experiment notes:

  • People to People video notes in InThinking:

  • Individual and the Group methodology activity in InThinking:

  • Culture, Behavior, and Cognition activity in InThinking:

  • Cultural Dimensions activity in InThinking:

  • Enculturation and Acculturation activity in InThinking: